I know, I know. Joost was the next big thing. The hype was there, the idea was there, and the guys behind it are obviously some of the sharper minds in the game. Clearly it’s too soon to write Joost off entirely, but I get the feeling that the first beta has left a lot of people a bit clammy.
VeohTV, on the other hand, has every opportunity to not just beat expectations, but to leave them bloodied and panting. It’s not that expectations were low, it’s that expectations were different, mainly because Veoh has brand recognition as a social video site. A decent one, but not a leader in the field, and not a wave-maker (despite the use of peer-to-peer technology for distributing higher quality content). Their only recent press has been regarding funding. This spring, Veoh raised $12.5M in series B funding and added Michael Eisner to the board. This set the stage for something big, but Veoh was decidedly hush-hush about it. Shortly thereafter, VeohTV was announced, as well as an additional round of series C funding in the amount of $26M.
Same Space, Different Approach
Joost looks like computer powered television. VeohTV looks like online video on your TV. While Joost has attempted to create a new paradigm, VeohTV has sought to improve upon the existing online video experience and possibly bring it to the living room. Joost made some bold decisions when it came to interface design. Shiny blobjects, prisms and refracted light, elements scattered across the four corners of the display and video playing behind menus a la a set-top receiver or DVR. The icons are all single color and very simple shapes, which probably improves visibility on lower resolution TVs. I never experienced this interface on a TV from the couch, but I think that’s probably where it shines.
VeohTV takes a more conventional approach, not shying away from windows, boxes, tabs and dropdown menus. These metaphors have worked well in computing and have increasingly made their way into the interfaces of home theater devices and consumer electronics. Still, I can’t help but think there’s a better metaphor out there somewhere. Kudos to Joost for making the effort, but with the majority of users getting their first taste on a computer screen and not a TV, VeohTV’s more conservative approach may make a better first impression.
The Content
What the hell am I gonna watch? Joost could promise that all the content in the world was on the way, but when beta users logged on, there was nothing to keep them engaged. Of the handful of not-ready-for-prime-time programs they were able to muster, only one interested me. They’ve improved the roster somewhat since then, but for early adopters, the damage had been done.
Within a minute of downloading and installing VeohTV via Parallels, I was watching the season finale of Heroes in full screen on my second monitor. Thumbing through the rest of the channels, I saw a number of high-profile programs from most of the networks. With Eisner on the board and a lot of cash in their pockets, Veoh has had the tools to make the kinds of high-level distribution deals their competition may have found difficult or impossible. I now have a viable source of TV content that I didn’t have before.
The Extras
The Veoh Player was always pretty cool. In addition to giving you a decent playback experience, it helped you interact with your Veoh account by managing uploads and downloads, allowing you to manage your Veoh content from your desktop. This functionality have been folded into the VeohTV client, as well as some rudimentary torrent functionality and a kind of odd news / start page section. Although a lot has been crammed into this app, it looks like Veoh has kept their eyes on the prize and given priority to the discovery and playback of both premium and UGC content.
The Competition
I am a huge fan of Democracy and have been from the start. Their recent attempts at bridging the gap between mRSS reader and pseudo-IPTV have been noble, but perhaps lack flair. Of course, they haven’t had $28M and Michael Eisner in their corner. They are still a remarkable product and a viable player in the game.
Also tossing their hat in the ring is Babelgum, another windows-only, peer-to-peer solution for distributing TV programs. I’ll have to find some time to check them out, as I’ve only heard tell that their product is a good one. All reports indicate that the platform and client are more than adequate, but content is, predictably, lacking.
For today, it’s clear that VeohTV has the spotlight, and I’ll be looking forward to seeing what they do with it.
VeohTV is currently in invite-only beta.
Request your invite here: http://www.veoh.com/veohTV/veohTvIntro.html.